After
by 7cott
Summary: It's been five terrible years since the end of Motherboard. Hacker conquered most of Cyberspace with the Stasis virus. Soon enough all will fall to him. He only needs to track down a few more of the missing monarchs. Regardless, hope remains as Motherboard used the last of her strength to hid the Cybersquad. Now they must reunite and take down Hacker once and for all.


_This chapter had me stressed out. But I hope y'all like the story. Also these peeps are older in the beginning like Inez is 19. Matt 20. Jackie 20. Slider 22. So on and so on. Collaborated with SuperRed so a lot of her stuff will be teased/ incorporated in here~_

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I've_ been wondering for a long time about how to tell you this story. It's not an easy story to talk about. Most times it still hurts to remember; but you deserve to know about her and about you. In Motherboard's ending you were just beginning. So let me try my best to tell you about the story of Cyberspace's Rebirth month. _

_It started with me._

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"Motherboard! Mothe _*cough*_ Mo _*cough* *cough cough cough*_," Inez struggled to speak as her lungs inhaled burning smoke. It hurt to breathe. No, she couldn't even breathe. She couldn't see. Oh but she could hear. She could hear the scraping of metal and the cracking of the overhanging glass. The popping of exposed wires. She could smell the heat of the nearby burning fires and despair building all around her. She could smell her sweat as it trickled down her forehead. She wiped it away and looked to the left and right of her. Everything was black. What should she do?

_Something! I have to do something!_

_Motherboard needs me!_

Things continued to explode and collapse around her. She forced herself forward trying not to injure herself. She didn't know what to do. But maybe she could do something? She had to get to Motherboard. If she got to Motherboard everything would be okay. They could figure this out. It couldn't be over; there was no way.

"MOTHERBOARD, MOTHERBOARD," Digit wailed in her protective grip.

Digit held his head as he nodded no over and over. Inez gave him a reassuring squeeze. He barely noticed. Ever since Hacker had laid siege on Control Central and everything began to fall apart. Digit had lost himself to his grief as it stripped him of his rationale. Inez silently thanked God she found him or there was no doubt he wouldn't have made it this far. She couldn't lose Digit; she wouldn't. She coughed painfully into her shoulder as her eyes burned as the black smoke dried them relentlessly. Everywhere around her Control Central was burning and malfunctioning.

"Dige it's okay, I'll think of something,"She hushed her inconsolable friend. Digit just shook in her arms ignoring her to continue to mourn. She staggered forward the heat slowly becoming unbearable. She heard a loud crash above her. She looked above to see all the smoke being sucked out a broken window panel. In an eerie unison the window panels above slowly all in turn began to break; dropping sharp shards that pierced the floor standing upright. Inez fled from the wreckage barely dodging each shard praying not to be impaled. She was closer to Motherboard and she could feel it. But a new problem arose. Her eyes widened in fear as she realized all her oxygen was being pulled out into the depths of Cyberspace. She felt tears beginning to freely fall.

_It really is the end isn't it? _

The loss of oxygen was quick and the fires were dimming around her. Inez took a step forward staggering and she started to slip to the ground. The cooling of the fires lowered the temperature of the room close to a freezing point. Inez shivered, losing strength with the pulling of said oxygen into the emptiness of space. She saw the cloud of black smoke sucked out of the room. Ironically the lack of air led to her clarity being restored. She finally saw Motherboard after aimlessly searching for her.

_Motherboard!_ Inez felt the briefest prick of hope stir within her.

Motherboard was entering the final stages of shut down. Her screen color gone, voice scrambled and growing quiet, and the scared look of deactivation evident on her face. Inez opened her mouth and gasped as there was no oxygen for her to use to comfort or cry or beg or yell. She collapsed to her side on the ground. She gasped for air as she began to die with Motherboard. Inez felt her grip on Digit beginning to loosen as he struggled forward to Motherboard. He crawled over to Motherboard and hugged her side panel. She felt her eyelids closing as she inhaled nothing.

_No! I want to see her again!_

She pushed her eyelids open. In her last effort to see Motherboard and see one last good thing. She looked up. Motherboard was rotating on her screen phasing in and out. Inez blinked and gasped for air, everything slowly coming to an end.

_End? End! I don't want to die! _Inez fought off the urge to just accept her impending death. She struggled to get back up.

_Something, I have to do something! I can't leave my Mom and Dad! And what about Jackie and Matt!? Get up Inez! Digit needs you!_

Inez put one strong hand on the floor and pushed herself up. She crouched up still unable to breathe but feeling better that she was up.

"Inez,"

Inez's head whipped up. She saw Motherboard watching her. Both sets of scared eyes met in one last look. It was a brief moment of understanding and love between the two. Motherboard softly mouthed goodbye to Inez and with a nod. A shaky and weak portal emerged.

_Wait-_

It flickered in a fashion Inez thought it would flicker itself out but amazingly it sucked Inez into it. She watched weakly as Motherboard faded in the distance. The portal swept oxygen into her lungs and the suddenness of it made it hurt. She gasped and coughed as life surged through her. The emotion and situation back into perspective. She screamed Motherboard's name in vain.

"Motherboard! Motherboard!"

She tumbled in a fast and terrifying fashion. Round and round she was tossed. In the midst of her experience something caught her eye. She squinted as a dot flew towards her fast. Behind it the entrance of the portal showed the remnants of an explosion. Inez screamed in realization of what had just transpired.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

She tumbled again and lost sight of the entrance of the portal. But she couldn't care as she screamed in agony and sobbed the best she could as shock tried to take hold of her. Something grabbed her from behind and propelled her forward. It was Digit. It had to be as she would realize his specific touch anywhere. She clung to him as it felt she was losing her mind. He flew her forward as fast as he could.

"Hold on just hold on! We've gotta, gotta get outta here! And survive! We need to survive," Digit's words teetered on hysterics and reason.

She looked back seeing the portal carrying burning wreckage towards them. She gripped onto him and prayed they would make it.

The chill hit her back.

The warmth of the portal vanished quickly as Digit and Inez fled from it. They fled into a site of cold night time air. A whole world that knew nothing of the troubles following close behind them. Digit gasped as something hit him from behind. They crashed onto the ground as Digit couldn't hold them any longer with something now embedded in his shoulder. In a sickening crunch Inez and Digit crashed onto the hill they had been flying over and rolled down the endless slope. In a mix of screams and groans they reached the steep bottom fast. Inez watched in fear as far above her the flickering portal exploded the last of the furious destruction out from it. Luckily the shattered remnants propelled forward and away from them.

Then as fast as it appeared the portal disappeared cutting off the madness and the last thing they had of Motherboard.

It was quiet.

_She's gone._

_She's really gone this time._

She took a small frightened breath as salty tears flowed from her eyes. She heard Digit moan from the background. She tried to say his name but a whimper left her lips instead. A few more whimpers and she was sobbing again. Her whole body shook as she coughed and couldn't put together any coherent thought. Her loud cries completely drown out the steps quickly heading towards her.

_I failed her. I failed Motherboard! How could I fail her!?_

_How can she be dead!_

"Inez? Est. It's you! You found us,"

_Who?_

"Where's Jack- oh oh no. Hey hey, what happened?"

No she knew that voice. She'd know him anywhere.

She winced slightly as he straightened her up. She was turned towards concerned dark blue eyes. She did it. She had found one of them. The missing droid they had spent the last few hours of Motherboard's last day looking for. He opened his mouth to say something. But she nodded no and dove into his arms. Though he was reluctant at hugging anyone beside his son; he held her as she screamed and sobbed into his chest. He nodded into her hair and let her weep. The droid held her as tight as her own father would. A protective yet wordless hold as she cried harder than she ever had before.

A few painful minutes passed between them.

Inez heard Digit let out a shuddering breath and she pulled away from the droid slightly. He looked at her trying to scan her current emotion to best adapt to the situation. Unable to speak still, she pointed weakly to Digit hoping he would understand. He looked and nodded quietly.

"Gotcha gotcha. Here," He did a little circle in the air that indicated something was all over her face. He then slunk over to Digit. Inez looked at the rag in her hand. Inez rose the rag to her face to wipe the snot from her nose and saw the fresh rag was smeared with black residue. She sniffed and realized she was covered in soot? She started rubbing the black substance from her as Digit was being tended to.

"Geez Dige, how did you even get this in your shoulder?"

Digit just groaned at the droid.

"C-C-Coop,"She stuttered. Coop just shushed her.

"He'll be fine Inez. Just like take a minute. Whatever happened musta been rough,"

_You have no idea._

"Slider? Where?"

"He's, we um, yeah we're kinda in trouble. But you'll see that soon enough,"Coop sighed as he gathered Digit in his arms. Inez looked at him feeling small and unsure as he made his way back to her. He looked at her expectantly to follow him. But brokenly she gave him the weakest look she could muster. His tough guy facade faded briefly as he gave her a pitiful look. He knelt to her level.

"Come on Nezzie, what happened to that tough little lady I know? _Don't try to argue, I always win_," He mimicked her.

She gave a slightly peeved look, "That's not what I sound like,"

He smirked at her.

"Can you stand?"

Inez let out a breath of disbelief. How was she supposed to stand and carry herself when she had seen Motherboard's death before her eyes. Digit was allowed to shut down and recover but her? No, she had to pull herself together?

_Without Motherboard-_

Inez's chest felt hollow and her spirit weary.

_What's the point? I should just stay here-_

Coop eye's flicked to the nearby distance over a few hills. Inez looked that way and saw something bright far off.

"Come on Nezzie. We have to get back to Slider,"

The urgency in his voice scared her. Whatever was going on with Slider must be bad. But her legs felt too unstable and besides, how could she help him? She had already failed.

_He needs you!_

_But-_

_He's always been there for you!_

_GET UP!_

A small sinister voice started whispering to her. It being a little louder than the encouraging voice.

_Stay here._

_Stay and lie down._

_And die._

Inez closed her eyes and steadied herself. She thought of Slider and all those she needed to get back to. She thought of herself who she couldn't let down.

_No. _

Inez wobbled as she forced herself up and saw Coop stretch his arm out for her. She took hold of it but the kind act slowly unraveled her. Tears caressed her cheeks as she couldn't stop her mind from reminding her of her grief. She started to cry all over again.

"That's it,"Coop tried a softer, more parent-like tone. He walked slowly and she followed as best as she could. Never letting go of his arm. They walked quietly and Inez could swear she couldn't see half the journey. It seemed as an eternity had passed when Coop's voice emerged sharper than ever,

"Inez in one minute you have to stop crying. It's insanely crucial you don't cry in front of these monsters. If they think you're weak. They'll deactivate you,"

Inez nodded weakly.

"If you feel the urge. Try to bite the inside of your cheek as hard and as painfully as you can. Are you ready?"

Inez looked up to see lights ahead of them. Three silhouettes stood in militaristic positions in the near distance watching the three of them. In the cybertransport behind them she could see Slider. He watched them terrified. She swallowed thickly and wiped her face. An incredible anger started to course through her veins.

"Absolutely,"

Coop smiled grimly.

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_Then before I knew five torturous years had passed._

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_That's the locked and loaded prologue! Hope to hear from everyone soon! Theories, criticisms, favs, and even things you'd like to see. __**ALSO ITS GONNA BE REALLY HOMOSEXUAL SOON! SO IF YOU AREN'T DOWN, RUN NOW! **__Like not to be this person but any chance for gay it will happen. Like I'm not here to play, unless its gay. __**AlSO THIS IS PARTIALLY A SOULMATES AU YEEEEEE! **_

**Also, everyone be careful with the coronavirus! Stay healthy!**


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